San Diego resident Sean Sala, a Navy veteran and gay rights activist, lead the protest when word was leaked that the San Francisco Pride Parade named Army Pvt. Bradley Manning as its Grand Marshal.

Manning is currently on trial for allegedly leaking sensitive military documents to WikiLeaks.

Sala immediately responded to the parade announcement by creating an online petition to protest the move. That petition reads, in part:

Bradley Manning is a traitor to the United States... He is a shame to the LGBT Military community and he stands for everything the LGBT Military community stands against. He turned Secret United States information over to our enemies. He DOES NOT REPRESENT THE GAY MILITARY COMMUNITY! SHAME ON SAN FRANCISCO!

Bradley Manning will not be a grand marshal in this year's San Francisco Pride celebration. His nomination was a mistake and should never have been allowed to happen. A staff person at SF Pride, acting under his own initiative, prematurely contacted Bradley Manning based on internal conversations within the SF Pride organization. That was an error and that person has been disciplined. He does not now, nor did he at that time, speak for SF Pride.